Vulnerable
by sandrocks
Summary: Leah is a gorgeous, young healer who believes in one night stands. Charlie is a confirmed bachelor who just moved back to England. They adore each other, but can they change their lives to fit each other in, or is it going to end in heartbreak?
1. Little Black Dress

The bells on the door jingled as Leah entered the shop. A wizened, weak old man emerged room a low chair behind the counter, and a grin formed on his ancient face. His very pale silver eyes scanned the tall, gazing at her dark, shiny brown hair that was windswept and messy at the moment.

"My dear granddaughter, you changed your hair again."

"Ollivander, papa, you could great in a more polite way, such as 'how was your day.'" Leah grinned.

The old wandmaker shook his head and embraced her. "That is not my way, darling."

She laughed. "I know. Are you ready for lunch?" She took out her wand and handed it over. Ollivander took out a wand cleaning kit and got to work while she changed the sign on the door from open to closed. Out of her purse she pulled a box of cookies and some takeout sandwiches and set them down.

"How is your life? Any new boyfriends?"

"I'm working hard enough, dealing with all the serious injuries at St. Mungo's from the war. I don't have enough time to worry about finding a new boyfriend." She replied. Her eyes still twinkling. Outside, rain poured down with fierce November gusto.

"Six months after the battle of Hogwarts, and there's still so many injuries?"

"There are many long term patients. The spells the death eaters used were largely unknown to us, because they were newly invented. They need us to fill out tons of paperwork to help the Ministry identify these curses and help them with research.. Don't you read the paper?"

"I do not have any more will to read those papers. Half of what they tell you is fabricated. Anyway, the knowledge doesn't help save you."

"Well, anyway, there was another Death Eater attack. It was pretty nasty."

Silently, lost in thought, both of them munched on cookies from the tin. Leah winced when she once again saw how frail her grandfather was. Of course, his capture had seriously hindered his years, but it was always a shock to see him moving so slowly and painfully. Their weekly lunches –if cookies, plain sandwiches, and the occasional leftovers could be called that – had become the only time they saw each other. It was a pity, but in all honesty they'd never had a talkative relationship. It was a more silent connection.

"I've got the afternoon off, do you want to come shopping down Diagon Alley with me?"

"Sorry dear, I've got some wands to finish this afternoon. I'm very behind, you know. Run along, I'm sure you have plenty of things to do. You work too much." He allowed her to plant a kiss on his sunken cheek.

She felt bad for abandoning their lunch so soon. Guiltily, she slid her black pea coat on and left the warm shop, delving back into the cold winds and icy rain that was common to London.

It wasn't exactly the most ideal day for shopping, but Leah was hard-working and never had time. Besides, she's promised her good friend George Weasley to visit him at his shop. They had become close friends after his girlfriend, Angelina, had been attacked by Death Eaters and been in the hospital for a few weeks. Leah was the doctor, and since George never left her bedside, they became fast friends, Angelina and George had just started dating, but because of the circumstances they had already been quite serious. Leah remembered the prankster from Hogwarts, as well: he had been a year below her.

Keeping her head bowed against the infuriating wind, Leah hurried past little shops and with relief entered the colorful store that was Weasley's Wizarding Weezes.

"Well, look who decided to show up!" George Weasley looked up from the counter, a grin on his freckly face,

"Hey Georgey-boy. That's not a good way to great one of your customers. Freebies are accepted as a repayment." She said carelessly, smiling brightly, he cheeks flushed and her silver eyes twinkling.

"You are cheeky, Leah, cheeky. My brother, Charlie, moved back to town, and tonight's his first free night. We're all going out for drinks, care to join us?"

"Sure, why not, but who exactly do you mean by us?"

"Ron, Harry, Neville, Lee, Charlie, Angelina, me, Katie, and Alicia."

"Harry… Potter?"

"The one and only boy who lived. Please don't act star struck around him, though."

"I won't." she promised. She knew Ron and Angelina, and was good friends with Lee. "Can I bring a friend along?"

"Depends who." He joked.

"My best friend and roommate, Audrey."

"The more ladies the merrier1" more customers entered and George hesitated. "I better take care of these people. But it's at eleven, that muggle bar called Trivial."

"I've been there before. I'm going to look around; go help your customers."

"Love you, Leah." He blew her a mock kiss, and Leah grinned at him. She wandered around, rolling her eyes but marveling at all the crazy things the twins, and now George, had come up with. She didn't end up buying anything, but left to go pick up a few books, some potion ingredients she wanted for her private stock, food for her owl, and come groceries for herself.

Leah apperated to her small London flat, inside a wizard building. She dropped her bags onto the dark hardwood with a clunk and looked around her place with pride. She loved her place; the living room in front of her was cozy, with an exposed brick wall, a brown leather couch and arm chair around a glass table facing a TV (her roommate was muggleborn and Leah herself has been raised as a muggle), and a soft rug. Books, newspapers, and magazines ay in neat stacks around the room, a few green plants livened up the space, and fairy lights were strung around the top of the brick wall. Her small, modern kitchen had an island with four stools for eating, and down a short hallway were the two bedrooms and the bathroom.

A stack of unopened mail was waiting for her, but Leah was much too tired to deal with it. The previous night she'd worked a long night shift, and now she needed to nap, eat, and get dressed for the bar.

***

"Shit, shit shit!" Leah exclaimed when she woke. Ripping her covers off, she hurried to the washroom and hopped into the shower, turning up the water so the heat was almost unbearable. It was past nine already, somehow Leah had forgotten to set her alarm. No there would be no time for eating.

Smooth, clean, and fresh, she emerged from the shower. She picked out a matching black bra and panties set, and sat down to put on some black eyeliner, gold eye shadow, and mascara. As she was putting on blush, she as picking her outfit out in her head. A short, ruffled black dress with a thin gold belt, sheer tights, and chunky purple heels seemed just right. While she was rushing to eat some bread and goat cheese, she was drying her hair with her wand at the same time and almost broke her neck tripping over the carpet. So finally, long hair as straight as was possible in her short time span, Leah grabbed her coat and wrapped it around herself. She picked a warm white scarf, and picked up her sequined pink clutch.

She swirled on the spot, thinking of a tiny alley just outside the bar. Seconds later, she had apperated there and crept out onto the street. It was the popular area of London, and the streets were crowded, but nobody noticed her. She entered the bar and scanned it for familiar faces.

"Leah! Over here!" George called loudly from a table in the far corner. Smiling, Leah slowly made her way over and sat down in the last empty chair.

"Charlie, Leah. Leah, Charlie." Ron introduced them. Leah turned to stare into the eyes of the most gorgeous Weasley brother by far. He had the brightest blue eyes ever seen, and short red hair that was much darker then Ron or George's. He was all muscle, practically budging out of his neat black t-shirt. Several long scars were evident on his arms. Simply put, he was gorgeous.

"Hey." She did her best to smile her most dazzling smile. "How many drinks am I behind?"

"I bought everyone a tequila shot." He glanced around. "And now everyone is sipping their drinks so slow its killing me."

"They are unbelievably slow." She joked. "What do you say to a friendly drinking competition?"

"You're on! A four shot contest." He waved down the waitress with just a tiny movement of his tanned, freckled arm. Apparently, Leah wasn't the only one who had noticed his good looks. "Could we have eight shots of tequila, please?"

"For the table?"

"No." he glared menacingly at Leah. "Just for the two of us."

"Bring it on!" Leah said with a devilish grin. "Think you can out drink me?"

"Yeah, actually, I do. You're tiny, and I got all this weight."

"But I got a lot of experience, and that makes me better. George, Angelina, you're deciding who wins."

They agreed and watched as the waitress set down the shots and lime. Charlie never took his gaze off Leah and her strange, silvery-blue eyes. Her lips were thick and glossy, and looked suddenly so kissable Charlie had to blink rapidly to get that picture out of his head.

Angelina turned to face them. "Ready? Ok. One, two, three!"

Leah started right away, swinging back the first, second, third, forth shot right down. She slammed her last glass down on the table, her chest on fire. She really wanted to win.

"tie." George announced promptly. "You guys were drinking simultaneously."

"Fuck!" Charlie and Leah said together. Leah turned to him. "Lets go to the bar and have another competition. Are you up for a new one, dragon-tamer?" she sucked on a lime and then stood up.

"We are taking this to the bar!" he agreed, taking her small hand in his large one and leading her to the bar. "Slow pokes, you guys get drinking too." He called back to the rest of the table.

Leah lost the second contest, in which they saw who could drink a gin and tonic faster. But this time she didn't care in the slightest because she was sitting close to Charlie. Over Bloody Mary's they talked, got to know each other a bit better.

"So how come you moved back here?"

"The war sort of made me realize that I needed to be closer to my family, because it's so easy to loose them. I took a job taming dragons on a reserve in Scotland."

"That's sweet. My family is… well, I'm half-half, my mom was a witch. My dad was a muggle. I grew up like a muggle because my mom died when I was just a baby."

"Did you know you were a witch?"

"No, my dad never told me. He didn't like magi." She explained sadly. "He wasn't thrilled when I got my letter, but he put on a brave face and introduced me to my mum's dad. Sorry, I never talk about myself this much!" she giggled, leaning closer to Charlie. "What about you?"

"I like listening to you. You're interesting." He smiled charmingly. "What _about_ me, anyway? I'm boring."

"Dragon Tamer and boring don't go together." She ran a finger over a tattoo of a dragon on his forearm.

"Girls are usually terrified of dragons." He sounded amused.

"I'm not a squeaky, giggly girl though. I work. I take care of myself. I'm not scared."

"You're great, you know that, right? Nobody has ever come that close to beating me in a drinking contest."

"Well, I bet in a two shot contest, right now, I could beat you."

"Oh yeah? If you win, I'll buy you another drink."

"We're raising the stakes, aren't we? What if you win?"

He leaned close to her, his eyes laughing. "You give me a kiss."

Leah pounded her fists against the counter. "You're going to loose." She ordered four shots and turned to face him. "Ready?"

"You're the one who's going to loose."

"I'm drunker then you, this really isn't fair." She complained, spilling a bit of her shot as she dragged it in front of her.

He grinned again. "I must say, I'm excited to win."

She glared at him. "Whatever. One, two, three!" she took her first shot and almost chocked. She forgot how much she hated gin. It was disgusting. Charlie was done way before she was. She finished and moved even closer to Charlie, planting a deep kiss on his lips. He drew her closer, deepening the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue. It was an amazing kiss, Charlie's strong hand on her waist, in her hair. Then –

"Yes! You're kissing!" It was George.


	2. Storytelling

**A/N: I'm trying to be more dedicated to this story. But it's summer, and I make no promises because I do have friends and lots of things to do… please review ********. **

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own these characters. Except the ones I made up. **

***

Leah woke up with two strong arms around her, the sound of deep breathing above her. She replayed the previous night in her head; they left the bar for some club soon after the kiss, and danced and drank a lot more until it closed. The details were fuzzy, but she did remember kissing more outside the club after it closed and inviting him back to her place. Her head pounded as she gazed thoughtfully at Charlie's adorable face.

According to the clock on her bedside table, it was only nine in the morning. She couldn't sleep anymore – she never could after a long night of drinking – so she slowly untangled herself from Charlie, wincing in pain as she sat up straight. She found hangover potion in her bedside table and gulped it down, thanking George and Fred for inventing it. They were seriously heroes. The nausea and headache was replaced by hunger, and after pulling on a black robe she glided to the kitchen and started making some bacon and toast.

"You can cook, too?" Charlie entered the kitchen a little while later.

Leah turned around and answered cheekily. "Yeah, but I didn't make you any."

He started to laugh but then stopped abruptly. "Wait, you're kidding, right?"

"Of course. Help yourself." She pilled food onto her plate, poured herself a glass of orange juice and opened the morning paper. "Take what you want, there's lots." She was always at ease when she brought a guy over, especially the next morning. It was just sex, wasn't it? Charlie was acting the same way.

"Do you have work today? And can you pass the sports section?"

She complied. "Nope, I'm not working today. I'm going shopping with my roommate Audrey, she should be back soon, She was going to come last night but went to her parents for dinner."

"Oh. Do you want me to… clear out?"

Leah shook her head. "I've got to have a shower. She raised her eyebrow. "Want to join me?"

Charlie looked confused and a bit shocked at her invitation.

"Look, obviously we had sex last night. I'm just saying, are you up for round two? If you're not, I won't be offended."

He laughed aloud. "You're the greatest girl I've ever met. I'm right behind you."

Giggling, Leah shot out of her chair. "Catch me if you can." She called over her shoulder.

Charlie took off after her, not catching her until they were safely in the bathroom. Leah pulled off her robe and jumped into the shower, turning the water steaming hot. Charlie was annoyed with himself for getting dressed up… now he had to take all his clothes off again. He was amazed at how easy going the beautiful girl was. Leah was just that; beautiful. Some girls were hot, some were cute, and Leah was beautiful. She had a great, slim body with endlessly long legs, a tiny waist, and surprisingly large breasts. Her skin was tanned and olive-toned, and her face was delicate, with those mysterious, silvery-blue eyes and extremely kissable lips. She was constantly pushing her long side bangs out of her eyes adorably. Those looks, with her hilarious personality, were a killer combination.

Charlie stepped out of his boxers and yanked the curtain open so he could get inside the shower. Leah was laughing, holding handfuls of foam bubbles. He immediately kissed her, drawing her wet body close to his. Leah grinned moving away in a very dirty game of tag. His hand gripped her arm and she laughed again as he kissed her again and again, planting kisses all over her body.

"Why are you so amazing?" he groaned.

"I can't help it." She replied flirtatiously. After their long and steamy shower, they both wrapped themselves up in towels, and Charlie got dressed and waited in Leah's room while she changed into a pair of black tights, a purple tank top and a tight grey high-waisted skirt.

"How do I look?" she asked, twirling.

"Gorgeous, as usual." He said decisively.

"I'm home!" someone hollered and the door slammed shut.

"In here!" Leah called back. Seconds later, a short, curvy girl with startlingly blonde hair and a bright smile bounded in.

"You look great. Oh, hey." She smiled at Charlie.

"Charlie, this is my best, dearest friend Audrey. Audrey, Charlie Weasley."

"Hi." Charlie said comfortably. "I should probably get going. It was nice to meet you."

Leah looked up from where she was cleaning out her purse. "Bye! Just let yourself out, you can apperated in the hallway."

"He looks yummy." Audrey laughed when he was gone. "Did you have a good night?"

"It's a bit foggy, but my morning shower was supreme." Her smile was a bit wicked. "Are you ready to go shopping?"

Stifling a yawn, Audrey rolled her eyes. "I _love_ Christmas shopping." Was her sarcastic answer.

"Hey, we want to avoid the December crowds, remember? We can squeeze in some selfish shopping for ourselves too."

"Well, obviously. What are you doing for Christmas anyway? Do you want to come over?"

"No, you know I prefer to be by myself on Christmas. I'm just going to relax with some wine, sushi, and a good movie. Ollivander doesn't celebrate it, and Uncle Devon (who's Ollie's apprentice) is a pretty weird guy." Leah said matter-of-factly. She brushed the topic away; she didn't like talking about her family. Grabbing her coat and a soft scarf, she straightened up. "Are you ready to go?"

"Let's go!" Audrey led the way out of Leah's bedroom and into the living room. "So I was thinking tat this year, we should host a new years party. Nobody wants to have a party ever, and those clubs are so expensive and crowded."

"Totally. All of our friends, and if they have dates or a few close friends they want to bring along, they can."

"Exactly. Lots of champagne, some tacky but great party hats, and a good way to end the year. It wasn't exactly the greatest year."

Leah snorted. "That's quite an understatement." The girls apperated to Diagon Alley, which was full of Saturday shoppers. After the war, many young witches and wizards ha begun wearing muggle clothes because it was easier to blend in and there were more styles to choose from. Leah herself preferred muggle clothing, but also had some pretty dress robes.

So they went past the colorful Diagon Alley storefronts and out into muggle London.

"How was your parent's house last night?" Leah asked.

"So much good food. Lots of relatives. You know, the usual. I can't believe nobody in my family except my parents knows about me being a witch and the whole Wizarding world. Don't they notice that my schooling, my job, my friends are all mysterious?"

"People don't see what they don't want to, honey." Leah opened the door to a small boutique.

"I understand why parents want to keep it quiet. But if it were me, I'd have so many questions. I always ask my family about everything."

"That's because you're a journalist, Aud. You should be happy your parents are so supportive; you know how many parents aren't."

"Yeah, I'm really grateful that they love me and accept me no matter what." She picked up a dress and held it up to herself. "So want to give me some details about Charlie?" He's very ripped."

"I know, I Know. He's George's brother, just moved back here form Romania. He's a dragon tamer, that's why he has those beautiful muscles. He was a few years above us at Hogwarts, but in Gryffindor." Leah and Audrey were both Ravenclaw themselves, and proud of it. Both of their beds had Ravenclaw blue covers on them, a reminder of their school days. "Anyway, we drank huge amounts of tequila and gin at that bar Trivial, then we went to some club and then I guess went back to my place."

"Who else was at Trivial?"

"George, Angelina, Ron, Harry, Katie, and Alicia. Too bad you couldn't come with me, they're all really nice."

"So… does Charlie have a single brother or something?"

Leah grinned. "Well, George is with Angelina, Ron has his girlfriend, Hermione, I think his oldest brother is named Bill and he's married to Fleur Delacour, remember her from the Triwizard tournament? And he has a brother names Percy who used to date Penelope Clearwater."

Audrey wrinkled her nose. "Ew. Penelope Clearwater was such a bitch." The girls had in fact been roommates with the ex-girlfriend in question. "I remember him – Percy. I always thought he was a bit odd."

"For dating her, you mean?"

"Exactly. Those months she was petrified were the greatest."

"Audrey, that's terrible."

"And true. I think I'm going to get this." She motioned to a shirt she was holding. "For myself. I give up on Christmas shopping."

"What are you doing for Christmas? Your grandmothers, as usual?"

Audrey grimaced. "Yup, my lovely grandmother, who is convinced there is something wrong with me because I'm 21 and I'm not married."

"There are plenty of things wrong with you, but being single is not one of them." Leah teased. "Lets go to that store down the street I think I want that cashmere sweater."

Laden with bags, a few hours later, the two of them returned to Diagon Alley with the intention of going for lunch. "Let's stop at WWW first, ok?"

"Sure." Audrey shrugged, and the two girls entered the shop.

"Well, well, well, there's the girl that stole my brother." George teased once they clamored through the Saturday crowd to see him. "Did you enjoy it?"

"I did, would you like to hear details about my morning shower?"

"Okay, no more questions!" George gagged. "Hi, I don't believe I've met you. I'm George Weasley, one of the founders of this fine establishment."

"Audrey. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Weasley." Audrey mocked.

George appreciated her humor. "Weren't you supposed tto get drunk with us last night?"

"Family dinner, I couldn't skip out on it."

"Oh, I see. Leah, my mother has invited you for Sunday dinner next week, and Audrey, you are very welcome to attend."

"Dinner?" Leah said doubtfully.

"Always a laugh with the Weasley's! It's a mellow thing, with the usual 15 or so people that drop by."

"Very mellow, I'm sure."

"5 o'clock. You don't really have a choice; you've both got to be there. Just floo to the Burrow."

"I guess we'll see you there?"

"Don't be too late; otherwise all the food will be gone." He called after them as they left the store.

"You're coming with me." Leah said immediately. "please!"

"Fine, I will. Only if you admit I'm the best."

"You are, you are!" Leah gave her a one armed hug. They pushed open the door to their favorite lunch spot, Cookery, open and sat down at a corner table in the crowded space. They were squeezed in between a funny-looking cloaked wizard and his coughing companion. Once they placed their orders and the food appeared, they continued to chat about the upcoming holidays, work, and everything else.

"I have a two week holiday this year." Leah announced. "I was one of the two people picked to have the most sought after holiday. I was a draw. I don't know why they do that, I didn't really want it all that much."

"When is your last day?"

"The sixteenth. Only three weeks of work until then! It's my first holiday."

"Oh my god, you're right! I love working for the Prophet, picking my own hours and everything."

"Quit bragging. My shift starts at six tomorrow morning. I get off at four."

"Yikes, I could never wake up that early. Seriously, Leah, I don't know how you do it."

"It's worth it, I love my job."

"And it pays pretty amazing, too."

"I don't mind that either, not going to lie."

Back at home later that night, Leah was curled up with a book and a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Dressed in her favorite pair of sweats and one of her old boyfriends shirts, she was expecting any visitors. Fate, apparently, had something different in store for her.

There was a knock on the door; a loud, thumping knock.


	3. First Date

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I was on vacation and away from computers. I'm back now, and to make up for it hopefully two more chapters will be up this week. **

"What are you doing here?" Leah said immediately, aggressively crossing her arms and looking up at her ex-boyfriend Luke Dalton. Otherwise known as the one who broke her heart when he cheated on her and then didn't take it too well when she dumped him. He pushed his way into the apartment.

"I need to talk to you."

"No, you don't. Get out." She replied, hands on her hips. "I had a good day, and I don't want it ruined."

Hands in pockets, Luke looked like a vulnerable little kid, never mind his tall, muscular frame and scruffy beard. "Erm, this isn't about us." He said a bit more softly. "Sorry, I know I must have surprised you. I'm sorry about being a sore loser… I acted like a baby."

"So, then, why are you here?" Leah asked a bit bitterly. She wasn't going to forgive him so quickly, and she didn't like him so close to her, in her apartment.

"I got bad news, Leah, and I was wondering if you could help. My ma got dragon pox. I was wondering if you could you could do me one last favor and go over there and see if there's anything you can do to get her better?"

"Why don't you take her to St. Mungo's?"

"You know how expensive dragon pox treatment is. We don't have money for it, we lost everything in the war, you know all this. We don't have money like you." He looked around the nice apartment. Leah didn't feel guilty; after all, she had earned her apartment, her job, her wardrobe. It wasn't like anyone in her family was rolling in money.

"I'll see what I can do." Leah finally decided, loosening her arms. "But I'm not making any promises, okay?"

Relief spread visibly over his face. Leah noticed the dark circles around his eyes, how tired her looked. "Thank you, thank you so much."

"Don't thank me yet." She said half-irritably, half-jokingly. He was almost out in the hallway when he turned his head to look at her.

"You look good." He added finally, and then he was gone.

***

Somehow, Leah managed to convince her boss to submit Luke's mum for treatment free of charge, provided it was kept quit, Leah was head healer for the case, and she worked a free five-hour shift on Saturday. It was all because the head of small pox loved Leah, otherwise there would be no way it would have happened.

The week was long and tedious. Leah being the workaholic she was, everyday that week she worked extra hours, filling out reports, working on an article for _Healer Today_, and catching up on other work. Wednesday, she went out for dinner with some old friends, and Friday night she joined Audrey, Tina, Riley, Tom, and Joey, all old friends from Hogwarts, for drinks at one of their favorite pubs. Like most Friday nights, she drank a bit too much (hey – she was in her early twenties, after all) and ended up dancing on the bar with Audrey, wandering home at three for a short nap before work.

Groaning, Audrey awoke to shower and change into her lime-green healer robes, then head to the six to eleven free shift she had promised to do.

There was a knock on her office door when she took a break in her office, relishing in the Saturday morning peace.

"Come in." she called. The door opened and Luke strode in, hands in pockets.

"Hullo." He said brightly. "Thanks so much, ma's looking better already.

"No problem! I just had to do a five hour Saturday morning shift for free." She said sarcastically. She really, really didn't like being in the same room as him.

"Well, I'll get out of your hair then, just wanted to let you know, thanks." He smiled, lingering a bit. "Sorry I overreacted when you ended things, but I love you. Probably always will." He shrugged; Leah shut her eyes, squeezing away and tears from this declaration. She opened them wearily to find him gone, all traces of disappeared from her office except his lingering smell.

When she returned home, Audrey wasn't even awake yet. There was a beautiful owl waiting for her, though. It hooted merrily as Leah took the letter from its leg and gave it a biscuit before sending it away.

_Leah, _

_I was thinking – you better be prepared to face my family when you come over tomorrow. How about I give you some pointers, say, over dinenr at the Fiery Thorn in Diagon Alley tonight? _

_Let me know and I'll pick you up at eight. _

_Charlie_

She couldn't help but smile happily to herself, and didn't hesitate before sitting down to find the perfect response.

_Charlie, _

_You've met me, I think I can handle your family. How bad can they be? I know the prankster already. I think you really want to ask me out on a date, little wimp. _

_xoxo,_

_Leah_

_P.S. I like your creativeness. I'll see you at eight. _

She sent the letter off with Emma, her gray owl, and crashed onto her bed, asleep in minutes. Her dreams were plagued by Luke and his mother. Then Luke transformed into Charlie, a Charlie that announced on a loudspeaker that Leah wasn't worth anyone's attention. She woke up at five, still tired from her fitful sleep, and clamored to the kitchen.

"Sleep well?" Audrey asked. She was sitting by the counter, deeply involved in a piece of parchment.

"Not great." Leah hopped up onto the counter opposite Audrey and picked up a strawberry. "Alright there?"

"Yes! I'm finally done editing this stupid piece." She exclaimed, throwing her quill down. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Charlie's taking me out for dinner."

"That's cute! I can't remember the last time you went out on a date."

Leah glared at her friend. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, sure, you bring guys home. But face it – you haven't been on a date since Luke. You're in a slump."

"I have not been in a slump. I was just having some fun. It's not a crime!"

"Well, whatever, I'm glad you like Charlie."

"I don't like him, I barely know him." She argued.

Audrey rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Need help getting ready?"

"Sure, but he's not coming till eight. I'm going for a run." Leah jumped off the counter and changed into running leggings, a running jacket, and her brand new trainers. She'd been a runner her whole life. Never competitively, but she loved pounding away on the ground, one foot ahead of the other. She apperated outside London, to a forest with a great path. It cleared her mind, running, and it had been a while since her last jog. She tired herself out running for a full hour before apperating home, covered in sweat but happy.

"What are you going to wear?" Audrey asked after Leah emerged from the shower. Leah picked out a silk baby doll dress, the top with thick straps and the bodice twisted down, showing just the right amount of cleavage. A cream ribbon wrapped around her bodice, and the skirt fell mid thigh in a pretty violet. Paired with black pantyhose, a silver necklace and a forest green cardigan with long front pieces, she looked pretty darn good.

"Amazing, amazing. You're not wearing flats, heels are so much hotter and he's a lot taller then you so you can."

"Heeled boots are a better option, its freezing. I almost died out there." She picked out black ankle boots with floppy bows on the sides. Her hair had dried nearly nice, so she curled it slightly and let it be. "I swear to god, you're more excited about this date then I am." Leah rolled her eyes, exasperated. Audrey shushed her and spritzed a bit of perfume on her neck and handed her a nice cashmere scarf. Finally, Leah was fully approved and was pulling her boots on when the doorbell rang.

"Come in!" Leah called (to Audrey's disappointment.) She took her coat and her black clutch and went to great her date.

"Hey, you look great." Charlie whispered in her ear while they hugged. He looked pretty great, too, better then Leah remembered, and once again she admired his muscular physique while he led her down the stairs. "Is it alright if we apperate together?"

"Of course. I've never been to the Fiery Thorn, anyway, what kind of food is it?"

"Italian. I didn't want to go with anything crazy, in case you're a picky eater."

"Good thing you picked Italian, because I am one of the pickiest eaters out there." She smiled fondly at him. They apperated to a busy, loud restaurant, full of people and with a great atmosphere. The place smelled delicious. A waitress seated them at a table by the window, where lightened crystals were floating.

"Have you ever been here?" Leah asked, looking around as the waitress poured them some red wine.

"No, I've been gone a while." Charlie admitted. "George recommended it to me."

She chuckled. "Are you sure something freaky isn't going to jump out at us? Are you sure this isn't some really elaborate prank?"

He glanced around suspiciously. "You know, I'm the one that introduced them," he swallowed, "him to pranks. When they were three, I told them to hide in the pantry and jump out at mum."

"No offence, I think they would have discovered pranks on their own. They are just like that. I mean, well, George is and Fred well, was."

Charlie sighed. "Its still so weird, that it's just George now. It's always been the twins. They wee pretty much one person. It was unbelievable, their connection. They hardly ever fought. George is coping so well. I don't know how."

"Angelina has a lot to do with that, let me tell you. Before they found each other, George just sat in his bedroom and stared. I wasn't friends with him then, but Lee told me about it, he was so concerned."

"After Fred's funeral, I ran back to Bulgaria because I just couldn't deal with the aftermath of all the death. I'll never forgive myself for it, because I missed so much, so much I could have helped with. Sure, I probably wouldn't have known what to tell George, but I would have at least been out there, hunting down death eaters."

"It's undersdtandable, Charlie." She put his hand on top of hers and he turned it over to hold hers.

"I hear your one of the best healers at St. Mungo's." he made an effort to smile at her. "You didn't run away from your problems."

She ignored his second comment. "I'm definitely not the best healer in the hospital. George tends to exaggerate. Besides, I never fought in any battles with Death Eaters or anything."

"How come you're a healer then, in charge of other healers as a matter of fact, only four years after graduating, when usually training takes seven years?"

She shrugged. "They needed lots of healers during the war. We all had to learn fast. We stuck around after the final battle and they gave some of us licenses."

"You, Leah, are far too modest. Do you like working there, at the hospital?"

"I love it. When I first started, I thought I had picked the wrong profession, but Audrey convinced me to stick it out for a year, and she was right. It really grew on me."

"You work a lot, don't you?"

"All the time. I'm serious, I work a lot. But because I haven't taken any vacation days this year, I get a nice two week Christmas break this year. No more dealing with the results of Christmas arguments and other holiday mishaps." She took another sip of wine and glanced down at their untouched menus. "I guess we should order?"

He laughed his loud, hearty laugh. "Probably. You're very distracting, Leah. I know what I want, but take your time."

They talked all through dinner and desert. After dinner, Charlie suggested they walk back to Leah's apartment. It was a nice, still winter evening and her flat wasn't too far away.

"How was it, growing up with so many siblings?"

"It was great because I was never bored or lonely, but because I'm one of the oldest, I didn't always have so many of them. It sucked sometimes, because there was never a moment of peace, and you always had to share everything."

"When I was little, I wanted a sister or a brother so bad. My house was always so boring. My stepfather was a nice man, but he worked hard and I wasn't his kid. He was never good with kids anyway. I spent a lot of time drawing, and reading."

"Did you live in London?"

"Yeah, I lived in this city. I loved Hogwarts but I always missed the city while I was there. Nature's great and everything, but I'm a huge city girl in every way. I love the crowds, I love the selection of restaurants, stores of every kind; sometimes I just walk around and breathe in the city."

"See, I grew up in the country, and I like both the city and the country. I like having space, and I've always wanted to have an apartment in the city and a country home. I guess I need to be rich for that, though."

"Yeah, better get working, geez." She wacked his arm playfully. "Are you living at your parents' house right now?"

"I don't start my job until January first, so I probably am going to have to wait to get an apartment until then."

"Ouch, living with the parents again…"

"Tell me about it. I don't know how I used to put up with it. The constant questioning… I have to admit, though, I don't mind the food."

"Such a man, always thinking with your stomach." She teased. She stopped; they were in front of her nice apartment building. Only wizards and witches could live there, when muggles came they were always politely refused. It was good, because one could apperate in any of the hallways, and all the apartments except in the ones that had defensive charms around them. Leah's apartment was protected so only her and Audrey could apperate into it. "This is me."

Charlie turned to face her, taking each of her hands in one of his. "I know."

"Thanks for such a lovely evening." She cringed at how girly the words sounded, and was instantly glad that it was dark because she could feel the heat in her face.

"May I give you a kiss?" he said just as formally.

She nodded and drew him in for a soft kiss. No tongue, just a sweet, first date kiss. Straight out of a how-to-act-like-a-lady guidebook. She stepped away. "Goodbye."

"Goodnight, Leah, see you tomorrow." He kissed her cheek, opened the door for her, and once she was inside, waved goodbye. She could see him slink into the alley and disappear seconds later. She walked upstairs in a daze, happy with the great date.


	4. A Weasley Dinner

**A/N: Look at me, updating so soon. I'm extremely proud of myself because usually I get through a few chapters and then get really bored of my story. Not with this one, so all of you who are actually reading this, not to worry. Not that there are that many of you out there. Anyway, review please!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling, I'm not making any money off this. **

Charlie woke up in a good mood the next day morning. He couldn't believe how good of a time he had the previous night, with Leah. It wasn't that she wasn't a gorgeous, interesting girl, but he hadn't been on a date in forever, and well, he forgot how much fun it was. Actually, he didn't remember it being that enjoyable. Maybe it was just the girl. When he had received her reply that day, and confronted George, who gladly admitted to forging a letter form him, all he wanted to do was hex his brother. He hated dating and he hated being a gentleman and all that. Now, all he wanted to do was go thank his brother. It was a strange, strange feeling.

The best part of living at home was breakfast, and the smell wafting up from the kitchen was extremely tempting. He was the only one at home aside from his mother; Billy was at his house, George was in his apartment above his shop in Diagon Alley, Ron was up at Auror boot camp, and Ginny was away at school. It was weird to have the house so quiet; but he knew in mare hours it would be full of people, as it always was for Sunday dinner.

The burrow would never change, but over the summer, with the funds the family had received for fighting in the war, a giant dinning room had been added next to the kitchen, in an extension. Now it was never a problem to have millions of people over for dinner.

"Good morning, mum." He said cheerfully, entering the kitchen.

"Good morning, Charlie. Help yourself to some bacon, roast potatoes, and toast. There are eggs, but I'm guessing you don't want any." The fact that Charlie hated eggs was always such a disappointment to Molly.

"Thanks mum. Are you cooking for dinner already?" he glanced around at the many things in process.

"Yes, dear, it's past noon already. Some of us can't sleep all day, you know." She shot him a dark glance.

"I'm on vacation! Usually I get up at six every morning. You know that."

"Ok, ok. Can you please help by setting up the table? And is that girl of yours coming to dinner?"

"Yup, and her friend Audrey. So how may people is that?"

"Lets see… Me, your father, you, Bill and Fleur, Angelina and George, Percy, Leah and Audrey, Kingsley and his new girlfriend, some woman named Leslie, and Teddy and Dromeda."

"So what's that, only fourteen? Oh, mum, that's so few."

"Stop your teasing and get on with your chores. After that, I want you to clean your room, your sheets are dirty and there are clothes and papers everywhere."

"Yes, mum." He sighed and got to work, setting up the dinning room nicely and then tiding up his disaster of a room. The peace and quiet was nice; Christmas was going to be crazy. Everyone slept over on Christmas Eve, and the house was going to be overstuffed with people, no doubt about it.

He showered and picked out a pair of dark jeans, a thin, light grey t-shirt, and dark green dragon skin jacket (a Christmas gift from the twins). He wanted to look good for Audrey. He had told her to come at five; that's when everyone except family came. Family had to be there by four forty-five at the latest or their heads were on the chopping block. George always showed up on the dot, to annoy his parents.

But today, of all days, George decided to show up almost an hour earlier. "Charlie! How was your date with Leah?" he called loudly.

All eyes turned to hm. Charlie sent a murderous glance at his younger brother.

"Date? You went on a date with this girl last night? I thought you were only friends! Oh, Charlie, this is fantastic! You're bringing a girl home!" Molly practically shrieked with joy.

"Technically, George is the one who invited her over." Charlie protested, but his mother ignored that. She was surveying him.

"You should change out of that ridiculous jacket, dear, into some nice robes. And go and wash your face again. I want my boy looking as handsome as can be."

"Mum? I'm twenty-five. Let me take care of myself, please."

***

Leah was having a hard time deciding what to wear to Charlie's. According to the many magazines she read, guys liked girls who looked effortlessly gorgeous sometimes, not always dressed up. In the end, she picked a pair of dark jeans, fluffy tall Uggs (all the rage in the muggle world) and the v-neck cream cashmere sweater she'd bought last weekend. Audrey danced into her room in a pair of ripped up light wash skinny jeans and a tight pink pullover, her curls bouncing.

"You ready for the whole family?"

"How bad can it be?" Leah asked. "I'm just trying to pick a jacket to wear."

"Go with something casual, like that small navy one." Her friend suggested. "We should probably go, its past five already."

"I know, I know, just a sec." Leah made sure her long hair was straight, her black eyeliner and mascara were unsmudged, and then grabbed the coat Audrey had suggested. "Did I mention I love you for coming with me?"

"Yeah, you did, but I don't mind hearing it again." Audrey pointed her wand at the small, magic-only fireplace in Leah's room and green flames shot up. "You do first."

Sighing, Leah pinched some floo powder and threw them in the flames. She stepped in. "The burrow." She said in a bored voice, and instantly she was spinning with dizzying speed. She landed in a low-ceilinged room already full of people, and of course tripped and was caught by Charlie.

"Hello, there." He smiled, a slightly teasing look on his face.

"Yeah, I'm a klutz." She admitted. "Thanks for the catch."

They moved out of the way just as Audrey came spinning in much more gracefully.

"Let me introduce you two to the rest of us." He said, motioning around to the rest of the people in the room. "This is my brother Bill, and his wife Fleur. Where you at Hogwarts during the time of the Triwizard tournament?"

"Yeah, Fleur, I remember you, we sat together a few times at the Ravenclaw table. Nice to meet both of you." Audrey answered for both of them.

"George and Angelina are over there, but you know them… and this is my brother Percy. He was what, a year above you at Hogwarts."

"You dated Clearwater." Audrey informed him. Leah chuckled and her and Charlie turned away.

"The rest of them are already at the table. The old ones, I guess." He informed her.

"Wow, so there are a lot of people here for dinner?"

"Just fourteen. Trust me; it can get a lot worse sometimes. Up to twenty sometimes."

"And your mum doesn't mind cooking for everyone?"

"Are you kidding? Mum loves to cook. I've been telling her for years that she should open a restaurant, but she says she might think about it only when all of her kids have moved out."

"Who's left, then?"

"Just Ginny, the youngest and the only girl."

"So the one that's dating Harry?"

"Yeah, that git." Charlie muttered.

"How is he a git?"

"He's dating my baby sister, he's automatically a git. Actually, he's the only guy who can date her. Anyone else and I'd kill them. She's precious."

"That's cute, you're so protective." Leah teased.

"I can't help it!" he said defensively. "Come on, we should probably head to the table before mum gets mad."

Everyone followed them to a much airier room with a giant table, nicely set and smelling amazing. More introductions went around; the minister of magic was there, and Leah did her best to act completely normal. Mrs. Weasley gave her a giant hug and called her dear many times; Mr. Weasley shook her hand and asked if about airplanes until his wife gave him a smoldering look. Teddy, the son of war heroes Tonks and Lupin, was an adorable little baby who charmed everyone.

Charlie was right, the food was delicious.

"Mrs. Weasley, your son is right; I think you should open a restaurant." Leah told her hostess after swallowing.

"Please, dear, call me Molly." She smiled warmly. "Thank you, Charlie is quite insistent that I open one, but perhaps when Ginny has moved out…"

"Mum, you know as well as I do that in six months, when she graduates form high school and starts Auror training, she will always be away at boot camp, just like Ron and Harry, and she will be living with Harry." Bill replied from the other end of the table. "We aren't going to rest until you get yourself a little restaurant."

"Boys, boys, calm down. Molly will do what she wants." Mr. Weasley quieted them down. "They're right though." He told his wife quietly.

"Hush." She scolded. "So, Leah, you're a healer, right?"

"She's the one that saved my life, remember?" Angelina added.

"Of course! I knew I recognized you. You are quite the young healer."

"Really, I'm just as good as the rest of them."

"Leah's exceptionally modest." Charlie added.

"Yeah, I'm her roommate and I never see her; that's how much she works." Audrey put in.

"Oh, so you two live together?"

"Yeah, after being roommates at Hogwarts for seven years one would think we'd get bored of each other, but we tried living apart after Hogwarts and found that we like it better together." Leah explained. "Audrey works for the Daily Prophet."

"That's very interesting! How long have you worked there?"

"Just since this summer. I refused to work there when they were so heavily influenced by the ministry, so before that I did a lot of freelance work."

The conversation was animated and interesting all through the many course meal. By the time dessert was finished, Leah was so full she thought she would never be able to move. Everyone else seemed to be thinking along the same lines, since they all stayed in their spots until Molly got up and started moving dished; then they all hastened to join in the clean-up (although Molly refused to let Leah, Audrey, the Minister's date, or Dromeda to help). People started to leave; it was almost nine and most of them had work in the morning.

"How about you stay for a coffee?" Charlie asked Leah quietly. "I'm sure Audrey will stay as well, it looks like her and Percy are having a good time."

It was true; Audrey and Percy were fast friends. There was nothing flirty or sexual about they way they talked and talked, but all the energy that flowed out of Audrey was influencing Percy.

"I've never seen him so talkative." Charlie muttered in Leah's ear, and she giggled. In the end, it was only the four of them that sat down in the sitting room and had some tea and biscuits in Charlie and Percy's case.

"I do not understand how you can eat more." Leah groaned. "I'm so full I don't plan on eating for at least a week."

"Well, mum said you're invited next Sunday too, so I guess that will be your weekly meal then."

"You family is so nice and welcoming." Leah yawned. "You're lucky."

"I know." He put his arm around him and her head fell onto his shoulder. "Tired?"

"It's been a long week. I had to work another six to eleven shift this morning."

"You really are a workaholic, aren't you?"

"I am. But hey, in less then two weeks I'll be on vacation."

"Then you'll be able to catch up on all that sleep you missed." He couldn't help but keep smiling. Leah just made him happy.

"Mhm." She muttered sleepily. Charlie looked down at her; he eyes were closed.

"Come on; let's get you home before you fall asleep on me."

"Don't worry; I'll take care of her." Audrey stood up. "Leah? There's a warm bed with your favorite cashmere pajamas waiting for you at home."

Leah stood up robotically. "Yeah, that's really tempting. Thanks for dinner, Charlie." She gave him a hug.

"Don't fall asleep standing up!" he teased. "I'll owl you, ok?"

"You better." She smiled at him. "Bye, Charlie." She waved goodbye as she stepped in the fire and muttered her address. He watched her spin away, all cute and half-asleep. Audrey waved at him from the fire, and then she too was gone.

Even though Leah was tired, Charlie had done pretty much nothing all day and wasn't in the mood for bed, or even sitting. He felt restless.

"I'm going out for a ride." He told Percy, and went out t the broom shed to get his broom. He didn't play quidditch anymore, but he still loved flying at night. Whenever he was bored or couldn't sleep he would sit on his broom, cast a disillusionment charm on himself and fly around for hours.

This particular night, he flew around the countryside, over the hills and snowy villages. It was late, much later then he expected when he returned. He has been flying for hours, and was finally tired. He sank into his soft bed and fell asleep quickly, his dreams full of a particular brown-haired girl.


	5. Sleepovers and Shopping

**A/N: Well, I'm on a roll. Here's another chapter. I'm a little disappointed with the lack of reviews. **

Leah apperated to her living room after work two Mondays later to find Audrey and Percy engaged in a heated debate about flying carpets. She greeted both of them and poured herself a glass of wine as she started to make herself dinner. She hadn't eaten all day, still full from her second Weasley dinner the previous night. She'd gone on two more dates with Charlie the previous week; on Wednesday, he took her out for lunch, and on Friday they went out for dessert and then to a bar after.

As she prepared herself a Greek salad and a grilled sandwich with cheese, mushrooms, cucumber, tomatoes and mangos, she thought back to the flowers he had brought her yesterday when he had come to pick her up to go to the burrow for dinner. She was contemplating asking him to be her date to the St. Mungo's ball on Saturday, although she usually went solo. She was hoping he would end up staying over after the ball. Sure, at the club they had danced and snogged a whole lot, but Leah remembered how great their first night together had been, and, well, she wouldn't mind making that magic happen again. It really was a pity she was working so much this week; it was all eight-to-eight shifts, Monday to Friday before her vacation started on Saturday. Once she got home from such a long day all she wanted to do was eat, curl up with a book, and sleep early.

While she was eating dinner, a quick rap came on the door and Audrey got up to open it up.

"Charlie!" Leah exclaimed happily. "Come in, come in."

He looked a bit sheepish. "Hey, Leah. I know you said that you were working tons this week, but I wanted to come see you for a bit. If you're tired, I can go –"

"Don't you dare! I'm glad you came." She told him honestly. "Come, sit down, do you want anything to eat?"

"No, I ate already. You sit and finish your dinner. You look tired. Gorgeous, but tired."

"Stop showering me with compliments, my head will grow nig." She replied cheekily, laughing.

"How was your day?"

"Good, but really busy. Right now I'm working in the emergencies department, and there are a lot of bad cases so there's never a moment of peace. You're always standing, running around."

"I read about that Death Eater attack last night."

She nodded. "The worst of it cam in last night for the night shift to deal with, but this morning I was dealing with some of the patients. Thankfully, we're a lot better prepared to deal with cases now then we were during the war because we know what to expect and we know what potions and spells to administer immediately so as little lasting damage remains."

"The attack was milder then some of the others, right?"

"Yeah, well, most of the senior death eaters have been caught, and they were the ones with the really nasty ideas." Leah shuddered, setting down her fork. With a flick of her wand, she sent her dishes zooming to the sink, and with another wave the sponge soaped up and started washing the dishes. They watched as they were cleaned and rinsed, and then zoomed away to their appropriate spots in the cabinets. "How was your day, then?"

"I went Christmas shopping in Diagon Alley. Nothing too exciting. I hate Christmas shopping but I really should finish it, considering Christmas is coming up quickly."

"I'm almost done. Usually n my lunch hour I go out and try to buy a few things."

"Speaking of Christmas, what are you doing?"

She shrugged. "Nothing special. Maybe a movie, some wine and sushi."

"Well, then, it's decided. You're coming over for Christmas. You'll love it; if you've never had a Weasley Christmas you've never truly experienced Christmas."

"But –"

"No buts. Mum said I should invite you if you weren't doing anything special, and being alone on Christmas qualifies as nothing special."

"Alright, I'll come. How many people do I need to buy gifts for?" she wrinkled brow. "I got something for your parents, and Fred and Angelina and Percy and you, but who else should I?"

He laughed. "There are too many people to get a gift for everyone."

"I insist. I'm getting everyone a gift. Tell me who else is coming!"

"I don't know. I'll get mum to write out a list and send it to you. But promise me that you won't blow all your money on gifts for strangers. You work so hard for it."

"Shush, you. I'll be expecting that list tomorrow. How about you come with me to the St. Mungo's ball on Saturday with me, then?"

"Uh oh. A ball? So it means… dancing?" he winced theatrically.

"Yes, it does, and it means nice dress robes for you and a fancy gown for me." She replied.

"Let's make a deal. If I come with you to your ball, then you're coming over for our Christmas Eve tea, and dinner and you're spending the night, and staying for Christmas breakfast and dinner."

"Oh boy, that's a lot of food." She bit her lip. "But you've got yourself a deal." She turned to give him a kiss. "Lets go join in whatever argument Percy and Audrey are having."

Audrey and Percy were now together almost constantly, and all they did was bicker. They both loved it. They pretended to be pissed off with each other, but everyone who knew them saw right through it. Audrey had insisted to Leah that they were just friends.

This time, the topic for argument was televisions.

"I don't like this spell they invented to be able use muggle devices around magic." Percy exclaimed, motioning to the pretty flat screen TV. "I've read a lot of about these so-called 'couch potatoes' and how obesity is a problem in the muggle world."

"We're smarter then that! Besides, look at me and Leah. Are you calling us fat? Because we have a TV in our flat, but that's not all we do. It's simply relaxing. And also, there are a lot of educational channels."

Leah turned to Charlie, laughing. "Come on; let's go watch the TV in my room. It's much more peaceful."

He swung her up and picked her up easily. She shrieked with laughter, beating her fists against him and telling him to let her down. He dropped her on her bed and kissed her hard. They snogged comfortably for a while, and when they broke apart Leah rested her head comfortably on his chest. She flicked the TV on and picked some channel with a movie playing, and seconds later her eyes were closed.

Charlie smiled to himself when h heard the deep breathing that meant Leah was fast asleep. "Leah?" he whispered, checking. There was no reply. He was far to comfortable to move and he didn't want to wake up his sleeping beauty, so he watched the movie until it was over, and then he too fell asleep.

***

Leah quickly turned off her alarm clock when it woke her up at quarter to seven and got out of bed, making sure not to wake Charlie up. She showered and got ready for her day, putting on some make-up and changing into her ugly Healer robes. She usually took the Floo to work, just because it was easier. It was impossible to apperate into St. Mungo's, a precaution since the war. She leaned over the bed to give Charlie a kiss. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled up at her.

"Good morning."

"Morning. Listen, I've got to go to work, but you stay here and sleep, it's still really early." She whispered.

"You look all pretty and made up." He muttered sleepily, lifting his body up a bit. "Give me another kiss, please."

She laughed and complied, and he deepened their kiss more then necessary. She broke it off. "Sorry, Charlie, I'm going to be late for work unless I leave a few minutes ago." She kissed him quickly, and then she was gone. Charlie groaned and tried to get back to sleep, but there was really no use. The sheets smelled like her, and he decided a cold shower was what he needed most.

After his shower and after sharing a slightly awkward but normal breakfast with Audrey, he decided to tackle what he had been dreading; finishing his Christmas shopping. He still had to buy a gift for Leah and for his youngest sister, Ginny.

"What are you doing today?" Audrey asked him.

"Christmas shopping. You wouldn't happen to know what your best friends wants for Christmas from me, do you?"

She grinned. "It sounds like I need to join you for a little shopping trip today." She clapped excitedly and ran to grab her coat. Charlie rolled his eyes, but felt relived. Audrey would definitely help him pick out the perfect present. And while they were at it, it would probably be nice if she helped him pick out some nice dress robes for the Mt. Mungo's ball.

"So, tell me, how much are you willing to spend on Leah?" she asked once they were in Diagon Alley.

"I dunno, what's appropriate? We've only been dating a few weeks. It feels like longer, though."

"She's already met your family and everything, and she is taking you to the ball and she is spending all of Christmas with you." Audrey pondered it seriously. "well, we'll start by looking around. Come on, we've got a long day ahead of us."

Charlie just groaned. He hated shopping. Audrey, on the other hand, loved it. They visited nearly every store in Diagon alley. He bought a pretty jewelry boy for Ginny, found himself a nice, expensive pair of dress robes for the ball, but still no luck with a gift. They went out into muggle London, and after about fifteen jewelry stores, he found a pair of pretty amber drop earring with tiny diamonds on them. They went to get coffee and to rest their feet after, Audrey babbling on about everything. The girl really did talk a lot.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" Charlie asked.

Audrey launched into a story about spending all of Christmas day with her family.

"For Christmas eve, you should come with Leah to the family tea. I know Percy would like that."

"Yeah, sure, that would be fun." Audrey checked her watch. "Oh my, it's already five and I haven't done a single piece of work today. I should get home and finish that article I'm supposed to send it in tomorrow… I'm glad we found you everything you need, make sure you look amazing on Saturday and don't be late picking Leah up, she likes punctuality. Complement her on her eyes, she likes that because usually it's all about her body so she'll like that her body is not the only thing you notice. Your surprise last night was really sweet, do it maybe Thursday night again? It will leave enough time for you guys to miss each other and also I need my time with my best friend. You know, she works like crazy so I really don't see her that much. The gift you picked for her is gorgeous, she'll love it, and alright, I'll see you!" Audrey smiled and ran out of the coffee shop into the cold.

Charlie shook his head at the amount of energy in the girl. He collected all his bags and decided to go pay a visit to his brother in the joke shop.

***

Leah finished her Christmas shopping after work on Thursday. She'd bought him a watch but then decided it was too expensive for how short their relationship was, so she returned it and ended up buying him some nice cologne and a hilarious dragon game set. She stopped in a café in Diagon Alley to eat some dinner and then apperated home, wiped out. She dumped her shopping bags on the floor and was about to pass out on the couch when an owl started tapping at the window. She got up and took the letter from Charlie's owl, excited for the letter.

_Dear Leah, _

_I came by to surprise you again but you were out, Audrey said Christmas shopping. I miss you, and I can't wait to see you on Saturday. I have my dress robes, and I will be at your door at 7:30 sharp. I hope they're treating you well at work and not tiring you out too much, I'm glad tomorrow is your last day because hopefully I will be able to see you a lot more over your holidays and before I start work on the first. _

_Sleep well and I miss you, _

_Charlie_

She smiled and tucked the letter in one of her drawers. She quickly changed into her most comfortable sweatpants and sweater and climbed into bed, ready for some serious sleep.

After work the next day, as much as she felt like celebrating that she was now on vacation, she really didn't have energy to go clubbing or partying. Instead, she and Audrey ordered a pizza and spent the night catching up and painting each others nails.

"Please come shopping for a gown with me tomorrow?"

"I can't believe you left it for the last minute. You have to find the right accessories, the right clutch, the right coat and shoes… seriously, where is your brain?" Audrey shook her head. She was a great believer in spending hours planning outfits. Leah, on the other hand, loved looking good but she usually picked the first outfit she saw and liked. They went to bed early so they would have energy for their full day of shopping the following day, but Leah couldn't fall asleep. For once she wished she was a muggle so she could pick up the phone and call Charlie, just to talk.

"Wakey wakey, Leah, we've got a long day ahead of us!" Audrey twirled into her room while she was getting dressed.

"I know, I'm almost ready." Leah replied, pulling her hair into a high ponytail. She was dressed comfortably for the day, in loose-fitting boyfriend jeans and a white t-shirt. "Why are you so perky this morning?"

"I'm in a good mood." She sang. "And I'm excited, because on Sunday I'm going to the ministry ball! I'm going with Percy, as friends, so I get to buy a dress today too."

"Sure, as friends." Leah grabbed her coat and the friends' apperated to Diagon Alley.

"No, seriously, we aren't anything more. He's not attractive, he's nerdy, he's so not my type." Audrey said as they entered one of their favorite high-end boutiques in London. "But he's funny, and he can keep up with me, you know, conversation wise. He's really smart, too."

Leah rolled her eyes but let it rest. It was for the two of them to figure out; it wasn't her business. She picked out a few gowns and went to go try them on. As soon as she stepped into a deep red, thick-strapped floor length gown with a plunging neckline and an empire waist, she knew she had decided on her gown. So she paid for it while Audrey spent about three hours contemplating which one she should buy.

"You need to wear diamonds with that dress." Audrey told her when they stopped for lunch. "It's a diamond-esque dress."

"It is, I know. We'll continue our accessory trip after lunch, but for now, lets celebrate the fact that I'm on holiday!" she raised her glass of lemonade. "Cheers!"

"I'll drink to that, sister." She grinned. "So, you missed Charlie last night."

"I know, he sent me a letter." Leah smiled at the thought of it. "I've missed him, I can't wait to see him tonight."

"It sounds like you two are getting pretty serious pretty fast."

"I don't know, I'm just taking it as it goes. I'm trying not to over-analyze anything."

"Trust me, every girl sucks at that when she likes a guy a lot. It's in our blood to be crazy. We just can't show them it, that's all."

"So true… for you." She teased. "It's hard because I work so much, and when he starts work its going to be hard to see each other."

"Have fun with him over Christmas, get to know him better, and then it will be easier to still be together even when you don't see each other all the time."

"I know, that's my plan. That's why I accepted his invitation to spend Christmas with his family, even though I absolutely hate Christmas." She looked down. "You almost done? We should get going."

Audrey looked at Leah with understanding in her eyes, but didn't say anything. They paid and left, and Leah found herself white gloves that went above her elbows and a furry little white shrug to warm her arms outside. Back at home, she did her hair in an elegant bun with a few side pieces loose and curled, framing her face nicely. She kept her make-up simple with just black eyeliner and mascara around her eyes and subtle pink lipstick. The dress fit her perfectly, and her mother's drop rubellite earrings and matching chunky necklace added the finishing touch. She was just slipping her shoes into her most comfortable black heels and Audrey was helping her squeeze her valuables into a matching black clutch when there was a knock on the door.

"I do believe your date is here." Audrey smiled. "You look great, Leah."


End file.
